This Couple Celebrated Their California Nuptials in a Tent Composed Entirely of Twinkle Lights

Alexia Bouttier and Tristan Borys met first as colleagues—she works for Lionsgate Entertainment and he was with ViacomCBS—but kept their relationship strictly professional at first. "The sparks started flying on the dance floor when Lex crashed my birthday party at The Virgil in Los Feliz," says Tristan. "Who knew those fireball shots would be the best decision of my life!" Over the next four years, they bonded over a shared love of travel and food, and in January 2019—the day after they flew home from three weeks in South Asia—Tristan proposed to Alexia with her mother's wedding ring, which the couple later redesigned together.

With most of Tristan's family and friends planning to travel to the California wedding from Montreal, the couple wanted to choose a resort setting close to a major travel hub and with a destination feel. "We picked the Ojai Valley Inn because we had been there a few times together and on family vacations, and it quickly became one of our favorite close-to-home places to unwind," says the couple. "Another fun plus was that a lot of our L.A. friends hadn't visited Ojai before either, so we got to show them a great time!"

Nearly 90 guests joined the couple for a "California chic" celebration on September 21, 2019—which the couple planned with Bash Please in about eight months. "We were trying not to plan—a.k.a. obsess—for over a year!" the couple says. The end result included an exquisite meal, an open-air tent made of twinkle lights, nods to the couple's favorite travel locations, and a silent disco during the reception. "We are both creatives at heart, and for our jobs, so we are very specific and detail-oriented by nature," they say. "If we were going to throw a huge, expensive party, then every aspect of it was going to be custom and perfect for us."

Alexia and Tristan allowed their wedding's location to inspire the paper suite from Aerialist Press. "Our invites reflected our love of the Ojai Valley," the say. "The colors were very romantic and outgoing." Local Ojai pixie tangerines were featured on the envelope liner, while papers in shades of fresh green and pomegranate-colored ink added a juicy contrast.

For Alexia, choosing a wedding dress wasn't a simple process. "I'm the most indecisive, so I think I went to, like, 10 different gown shops," she says. "I even ended up going alone to a couple places. Pretty sure my family and friends were over going so many times!" She wanted a gown that was beautiful, comfortable, and easy to dance in—finally deciding on a lace Monique Lhuillier with off-the-shoulder straps. "I must have tried it on at least three times before deciding," Alexia says. "I have no idea how people 'just know'—it's such a huge decision!" She added Chanel earrings borrowed from her mother and a diamond tennis bracelet Tristan gave her as a wedding gift.

Alexia's "loose and organic bouquet" from Honey and Poppies included light pink, ivory, and peach blooms, surrounded by "earthy and textured greenery."

Tristan's dark navy suit from bespoke tailor Suitablee set off his crisp white shirt, black knotted tie, and Dolce & Gabbana black velvet loafers. "The one significant accessory I wore was a Nixon Sentry Chrono watch that Lex had given me for my birthday," he says. "It has 'Partner in Crime' engraved on the back and it sparkles in the light and I love it."

Alexia and Tristan met for their first look on secluded gravel-lined pathway shaded by overhanging trees. "Once I felt confident in my vows, my nerves were completely at ease," says Tristan. "I was pretty calm, we love each other, what's there to be nervous about?"

During the first look, Alexia and Tristan read personal letters to each other and let their tears flow. "We both couldn't stop crying during our first look," says Alexia. "I'm so happy we were able to have that intimate moment, say anything and everything to each other, and get a lot of the crying out." Adds Tristan, "We both thought it would be a good idea to get some of the crying and hysterics out of the way before being in front of all of our guests, and it was very effective."

Alexia and Tristan gave their wedding party plenty of fashion flexibility. "I don't like the matching thing," says Alexia. "I just had a few of my favorite people dress in similar color palettes and get ready with me on the day." Tristan asked his groomsmen to wear gray suits of their choice with matching floral ties, and ordered custom Nixon Sentry Chrono watches as gifts. "The watches I designed to match their personality and I engraved the backs of them with a nod to my relationship with each of them," he says.

Ojai Valley Inn's Hacienda Courtyard offered sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and dramatic tree branches that framed the couple during their ceremony. Alexia and Tristan chose "lush and textured grasses and florals" to line the aisle.

Pine green paper matching the invitation suite offered a bright backdrop for the couple's programs, which detailed the names of family and friends participating in the ceremony and the order of events officiated by Father Jeremy Bellamy.

Alexia asked both of her parents to walk her down the aisle as The Strings and Keys Quartet from Dart Collective played "Divenire," the couple's favorite song. "[My parents] are my everything and I wanted them both to be there with me the whole way," says Alexia.

Alexia and Tristan exchanged their own custom vows in an emotional ceremony. "They were all sentimental and thoughtful, touching on our amazing experiences and travels together. They included anecdotes about our relationship—how much we love food, how he loves space, how falling in love was the sweetest surprise," says Alexia. Guests dabbed their eyes as the couple shared their vows, which Tristan describes as "promises of love and commitment with a side of excitement and support."

After the ceremony, guests continued to the cocktail hour while the newlyweds posed for portraits. Their advice to other couples: "Don't fret the little roadblocks and challenges along the way," they say. "You're only going to be thinking about each other on the day."

Wooden stands draped in trailing foliage held suspended laser-etched wooden plaques; each listed one of the couple's favorite travel spots—with a few lines about what the destination means to them—and the names of guests seated at the corresponding table.

Instead of a solid or draped tent, Alexia and Tristan chose a structure lined with twinkle lights on the sides and overhead. Soaring dried grasses and arrangements in front of the dance floor rose toward a dramatic floral installation suspended from the peak of the tent.

Long and round tables covered with sage-colored velvet linens were surrounded by high-back wicker chairs. Ivory candles on brass pillars, flowers, and autumn fruits—including pears, pomegranates, and tangerines—surrounded the centerpieces.

Low terra-cotta bowls held overflowing arrangements of autumn blooms in shades of orange, peach, ivory, and red. Blush-colored plates, neutral napkins, and classic flatware coordinated with the color palette while letting the flowers stand out.

Custom menus included a miniature illustration of the pixie tangerines next to the couple's names, and detailed the family-style menu of gazpacho shooters, tomato and burrata, Dijon-crusted pork tenderloin, Chianti-braised beef short rib, garlic mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts with pancetta, and asparagus risotto. Since Alexia writes a food blog, the couple knew their menu had to stand out. "Our friends still tell us it was the best wedding food they've ever had," says the couple.

Alexia and Tristan asked their band from Dart Collective to play Earth Wind and Fire's "September" for their entrance—a fun nod to their wedding date—and chose the timeless "Fly Me to the Moon" for their first dance. "Fun fact: We even named our dog Frankie after Frank Sinatra!" says the couple.

The couple requested a three-tiered semi-naked confection made of chocolate-orange cake with raspberry jam filling and almond merengue buttercream from Lele Patisserie.

Alexia and Tristan think of their twinkle-light tent as the easiest decision they made. "We always knew we wanted something custom and unique, so…it was a no brainer. We still fight about which one of us came up with the idea," they say. "We are obsessed with twinkle lights—it made the entire vibe! It made the whole night feel like we were dancing amongst the stars."

During the reception, the couple handed out headphones that streamed the music directly to each guest. "Silent disco was the best decision!" says the couple. "The videos still crack [us] up—taking your headphones off to friends and family dancing and screaming the lyrics with no music. We as a couple are not shy when it comes to bringing the party so we wanted our dance floor to be front and center for the reception—it was!"

Photography, Michelle Beller
Venue and Catering, Ojai Valley Inn  
Wedding Planning and Event Design, Bash Please  
Flowers, Honey and Poppies  
Videography, The Hubs  
Officiant, Father Jeremy Bellamy
Stationery, Aerialist Press
Cake, Lele Patisserie  
Music, Dart Collective  
Rentals, Bright Event Rentals; Casa de Perrin; Found Rentals; La Tavola Fine Linen Rental
Bride's Gown, Monique Lhuillier  
Bride's Earrings, Chanel
Hair and Makeup, Janet Villa  
Groom's Suit and Menswear, Suitablee
Groom's Accessories, Dolce and Gabbana shoes; Nixon watch  
Lighting, Bella Vista Designs
Guest Book, Max Lamour
Rings, XIV Karats LTD